Children and adults can find the task of brushing their teeth confusing. For example, a person can find it hard to judge how long to brush each section of their teeth. A child could be told to spend two minutes brushing their teeth and spend the two minutes brushing only one or two quadrants of their teeth, which may lead to increased chances of tooth decay where the child has spent an inadequate amount of time brushing their teeth. In addition, a child might find teeth brushing odious and unexciting to the extent that they find it hard to get into the habit of regular teeth brushing. There is a need for improved devices to help children and adults establish regular teeth brushing.
It is well known that plaque and bacteria adhering to teeth make the teeth more susceptible to tooth decay. Dentists generally recommend that toothbrush users brush their teeth for at least two minutes to adequately remove the plaque. However, many toothbrush users do not pay close attention to the brushing time duration to ensure that they have brushed for the recommended brushing time interval (e.g., approximately two minutes). Accordingly, visually signaling users at the start and the end of the recommended brushing time interval would allow them to brush for the desired amount of time without having to monitor the time using a watch or a clock. Further, since many users would brush for the recommended time if they were aware of the starting and ending time, additional plaque would be removed as compared with variable brushing time durations.
Known toothbrushes have utilized a light source to indicate when the recommended brushing time interval has started and ended. However, the known toothbrushes utilize light sources that do not illuminate the neck of the toothbrush. Accordingly, a user brushing their teeth may not see the light source unless they take the toothbrush out of their mouth, rotate the toothbrush, and look at the status of the light source. Thus, the user may not brush for the recommended brushing time interval since they have to periodically check the status of the light source during the recommended brushing time interval. Another limitation of known toothbrushes is that as soon as the toothbrush is activated, a timer in the toothbrush starts counting the time over the recommended brushing time interval. Since, the known toothbrushes do not take into account the time required to apply toothpaste to the toothbrush, the user may not brush for the recommended brushing time interval if they activate the toothbrush prior to applying the toothpaste to the toothbrush.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,606,755 issued to Robinson et al. describes a toothbrush having a light source for signaling when a recommended brushing time interval has started and ended. In particular, the toothbrush includes a handle portion having a translucent portion configured to allow the transmission of light therefrom around substantially the entire circumference of the toothbrush. The toothbrush further includes a tip portion attached to the handle portion having a plurality of bristles extending therefrom. The tip portion is detachable from the handle portion. The toothbrush further includes a light emitting diode disposed within the handle portion proximate to the translucent portion. Finally, the toothbrush includes a control circuit disposed within the handle portion electrically connected to the light emitting diode.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,382 issued to Giuliani et al. describes a vibrating toothbrush, which includes a handle member, an elongated arm which has a brush-head at the distal end thereof, and a drive assembly for moving the brush-head at a selected velocity. Responsive to an on/off switch on the toothbrush is an on/off variable, which enables a master clock to produce a drive signal, the on/off variable being reset by a 120-second timer. A quadtimer variable, when in the enabled state, is responsive to the on/off switch to produce an audible signal and a difference in brush velocity at 30-second intervals within the 120-second period.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,858 issued to Jung describes an electric toothbrush which includes a timing circuit to signal to a user the expiration of a first period (T1) corresponding to an optimum brushing time. An On/Off switching device is provided which is controllable by the timing circuit and by means of which the electric toothbrush can be turned on and off. The timing circuit controls the On/Off switching of a go0 device such that following expiration of the first period (T1) the electric toothbrush is turned on and off repeatedly within a second period (T2). As a result, the user of the electric toothbrush “senses” directly the end of the first period (T1), that is, the end of the optimum brushing time, from the variation in the operating mode of the electric toothbrush.
U.S. Patent Application Number 20080060154 published to Jansheski describes an illuminated toothbrush that includes a one-piece body of molded plastic construction having a handle portion and a head portion, bristles extending outwardly from the head portion of the body, one or more sources of visible light located on within the head portion of the body and configured to direct visible light toward the bristles to illuminate locations being brushed during use of the toothbrush, and a circuit contained within the body configured to be activated by a user after use of the toothbrush. When activated, the circuit operates to illuminate the illumination sources for a predetermined period of time corresponding to a desired brushing interval and then turn the illumination sources off.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,409,741 issued to Dworzan describes a toothbrush provided with a head containing bristles, a neck and a handle. An eccentrically rotational weight is engaged for rotation with a motor, the weight disposed within the head. The motor is disposed within the handle. The head and neck are integrally formed with a natural resonance frequency of vibration approximately equal to the rotational speed of the motor and synchronized therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,242 issued to Salmon et al. describes a light emitting electric toothbrush and method of use by children, comprised of a robust high-strength, plastic construction, and which toothbrush employs both light and vibration to assist in the development of suitable dental hygiene skills.
U.S. Patent Application Number 20060262516 published to Dowling et al. describes methods and systems for illuminating a variety of household products and other items using color-controlled illumination systems that include lights under the control of processors.